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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29126004">Memories, not dreams</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelynMoon/pseuds/AngelynMoon'>AngelynMoon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Not Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant, Relationship Advice, Sad and Happy, Sort Of, i guess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:56:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29126004</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelynMoon/pseuds/AngelynMoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve has some advice for Tony</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Memories, not dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>As alway let me know for tags.</p><p>Also some notes for this<br/>1.) Hydra died after WW2<br/>2.) Bucky is really dead<br/>3.) He and Steve were in a secret relationship<br/>4.) Steve never asked Bucky to marry him, he wishes he did.<br/>5.) The Avengers all live in Tony's Tower</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve is just getting a snack, he doesn't mean to overhear, doesn't mean to eavesdrop and not for the first time he curses the Serum for making his hearing so sensitive, it's useful in the field, yes, but everywhere else it's either annoying or embarrassing. There are things about his fellow Avengers that he never wanted to know and cannot unhear.</p><p>But this is neither embarrassing nor annoying, if anything it's heartbreaking.</p><p>"Pepper, I know we've had some setbacks and brushes with danger but will you consider being my wife?" Tony's voice echoes through the walls.</p><p>And Steve pauses, waiting for Miss Pepper's reply before remembering that Miss Potts is in Malibu and if Tony is proposing over the phone or the videocall he deserves a no from Miss Potts.</p><p>"That's stupid." Tony says, "Pep, my love, my life, my wonderful CEO, no, that's worse."</p><p>And, oh, Tony is practicing.</p><p>Steve can't help smiling a little, it's nice that Tony is nervous about this, he didn't seem the type.</p><p>"Shit, what am I even thinking. She won't say yes anyway. It's too dangerous, hell, even being myself without Iron Man would be dangerous." Tony sighed and something snapped closed, like a ring box, "She's better off without me."</p><p>Steve felt his breath catch.</p><p>'You're better off without me, Stevie.' Bucky's voice whispered, Steve could almost feel Bucky's weight against his chest, 'You could get married to that Agent Carter, live happily ever after.' </p><p>And Steve could still remember what he'd responded with, the way Bucky had looked at him.</p><p>Of course that hadn't changed anything, Bucky had fallen from the train carrying Zola only a few weeks later and Steve had gone into the ice only to wake nearly a century later, Bucky still dead and the world allowing two men to get married legally.</p><p>So, while normally Steve would ignore anything he overheard by accident this hit too close to home for him to ignore it.</p><p>And so, snack forgotten, Steve headed to find Tony.</p><p>"Hey, Cap', couldn't sleep?" Tony asked when he noticed Steve.</p><p>"Something like that." Steve said with a shrug, "You?"</p><p>"I never sleep." Tony laughed as he tried to hide the box in his hand.</p><p>"New project?" Steve asked, pointing at the box.</p><p>"This? Nah, it's nothing." Tony said nervously, like Steve could detect lies, which he could most of the time but he tried not to call his friends out on them unless they were mission critical.</p><p>Steve stared though, trying to figure out what to say, anything to help Tony but nothing came to mind.</p><p>"I guess I should let you get back to work." Steve said finally when the awkward silence turned into an uncomfortable one.</p><p>"Yeah, I could get JARVIS to play some soothing music for you." Tony suggested.</p><p>Steve chuckled, "As long as it's not your idea of soothing."</p><p>Tony grinned at him, "Alright." He said as Steve headed to the door.</p><p>Steve paused before he exited.</p><p>"Hey, Tony?"</p><p>"Yeah, Cap'?" Tony asked as he turned to Steve.</p><p>Steve felt his hand move up to finger his dog tags, only one of which carried his name.</p><p>Steve turned to Tony.</p><p>"Die with memories, not dreams." Steve said softly, "Ask her."</p><p>Tony opened his mouth to say something, maybe even yell at Steve for eavesdropping but Steve found himself continuing.</p><p>"I never got the chance to ask Bucky, I'll never know if he would have said yes." Steve looked at Tony's shocked face, "Don't make my mistake." </p><p>And then Steve left, Bucky's voice repeating what he'd said all those years ago.</p><p>'You could get married to that Agent Carter, live happily ever after.' </p><p>And Steve could recall what he'd said in return.</p><p>'It's not happily ever after without you, Bucky.' </p><p>And Steve couldn't help his grin when he saw the ring on Miss Potts' finger when she returned to the Tower almost a week later.</p><p>He wished Tony the best in making memories with his Miss Potts.</p><p>Steve only wished he'd had the chance to do the same with Bucky.</p><p>--</p><p>A/n: sorry folks but Bucky is really dead in this one, Hydra fell in WW2 and SHIELD is a Hydra free zone.</p><p>Also the Avengers all live in the Tower except Clint because he lives with his family most of the time, which Steve knows about but hey, not his business, although there are some things about Natasha and Bruce's (and occasionally Hulk and Natasha's) developing relationship he wishes he could unhear.</p><p>Thor is loud regardless, there are things about Thor and Jane and sometimes Darcy that they all wish they had never heard.</p>
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